31 August 2016

The Melvins should not really
need an introduction, but the briefest of outlines - formed in 1983, The
Melvins have been causing chaos with the world, my mind and generally everyone
who listens to any of their albums. With somewhat of an open door policy
to band members (even on the same album), the band have never really had a
steady line up, to be honest they have never really had a steady style of
albums either with each release being different to the next. You can
never accuse them of being boring, keeping it safe or even being dull and stuck
in a rut. On this album, there are ten different musicians performing at
different point, with special attention being given to the bass guitar on the
album as they go through them like a teenage goes through a paper hanky box
during a long and lonesome night. This was released in June 2016 through
the mighty Ipecac Records and I have been sitting on it for a while now, just
waiting for the right time to review it; the time (as they say) is now and let
us see how this album has turned out....

The first track is called
"The Decay of Lying" which features King Buzzo (who will feature on
every track), Dale Crover (on drums) and Steven McDonald from Off! & Redd
Kross. This is a slow, sludge, doom number which is the perfect song to
start the album; doom & sludge tends to focus on the bass, it is the
biggest presence on the song and it rumbles like an earthquake. The song
is a six minute plus epic, one that stays with you long after it has
finished. "Choco Plumbing" is next which once again has Dale
Crover on drums, but he and King Buzzo are joined by Jared Warren & Coady
Willis on bass & drums respectively. The Big Business/Melvins men do not
really need any introduction and they fit seamlessly back into the band and it
make me yearn for another album from this version of the band. It is a
powerhouse of a song, mixing the general Melvins noise with something extra
that only tends to appear when these men are in the same room with their last
full release coming in the form of 'The Bulls & The Bees EP'. This
song just has a groove that sticks in your mind and will not let go, it is definitely
one of the best songs on this album and one that makes me want more for this
version of The Melvins. The next song is Beer Hippie which see Dale
Crover move over to the bass guitar and has Mike Dillard on drums (who was the
original drummer of the Melvins), this song was originally released on the
'Beer Hippy EP' (all of the songs are included on this album). It is a
heavy song, back on the sludge trip with a vengeance and it sounds as if they
are dropping bombs all over the place, it moves with such an assured and slow
pace that you are hypnotized and you do not want to get out of the way of the
music landslide that is coming towards you. Fourth track "I Want to
Tell You" (a cover of the Beatles song from the album 'Revolver') changes
the mood once more and the music feels as if it could have come from a Monkees
record, with Dale Crover back on drums and Mr Steven McDonald back on
bass. Now the Monkees remark is not an insult, it is actually a
compliment (the Monkees at one point are alleged to have a bigger than The
Beatles in the USA) as they have made a song that sounds so innocent, with a
joyful step in the mix (even though it is steeped in Alternative Metal) that it
could not fail to bring a ray of sunshine to the world. Every time it is
on, I start grinning from ear to ear and it just makes the world a better place
for existing.

The fifth track is called
"Captain Come Down" is the next song, joining Sir Buzzo & Crover
on bass is Jeff Pinkus from the Alternative Metal band Butthole Surfers who
appeared on the Melvins album 'Hold It In' (our
review cleverly linked here). It was a union that produced a
fantastic album as they were joined by fellow Butthole Surfer Paul Leary, this
song harks back to an early sound of the Melvins, bass heavy, tone like tomb
and it sounds heavy as fuck. I mean this is a song that sounds much
better loud, we are talking teeth rattling level and it is furious, feral and
it does not sound as if it could ever be tamed. "Hideous Woman"
is back to the Buzzo/Crover/McDonald combo, with a sharp, tight and punk sound
added to their particular brand of cool-aid and it sounds mighty. It is a
little loose in some places and this added to the mystic of the band as they
might sound as if it might fall apart, but you know for sure that it is a tight
as a miser's wallet and it will be as hard a diamond. It is probably my
least favourite on here, but it is still a good song - when your least
favourite is a good song, you know you are on to a winner. The next song
"Shaving Cream" (a cover of a comedy song) see Mr Crover back on the
bass and Mike Dillard back on the drums, with a song that is so silly and
offensive that it cannot help but make you smile like a village idiot.
They are all fucked up with a tribal beat, an oompah section and a wicked sense
of humour that makes this band such an interest creature. Sometimes you
need something like this in the mix to lighten the mood, wonderfully
silly. The eighth song is called "Planet Destructo" which
feature Trevor Dunn from Mr. Bungle on bass with Messrs Buzzo & Crover,
which completely changes the tone once again with a little bit of double bass
coming into the album. Starting as an almost classic rock song (almost),
it sounds like it was going to just drift by me and it would have been ok as
not every track can be a winner. But then they do the normal Melvins
thing, they did the unexpected and I am always wondered why I am surprised when
they do this. They change it into a little blues/jazz number near the
end, very loose and focusing once more on the bass as he is allowed to go free
and explorer the environment; it is this section that is most interesting as
the band just follow wherever the bass is heading and it is a glorious
noise. I think this one would be my surprise of the album and it is
glorious.

"War Pussy" is another Buzzo/Crover/McDonald number which has a
steady alternative rock/80's rock sound, it is probably the weakest of the
songs by this version of the band yet it does have a certain charm about
it. It is a strange number which keeps the energy going in the right
direction and the band sounds tight as a nut on here. A decent, if
unspectacular number on this one. The tenth track on this album features
Krist Novoselic of Flipper/Nirvana/Sweet 75 fame on bass & accordion with
King Buzzo and Dale Crover, the track is called "Maybe I Am Amused"
and it is (to say the least) the strangest song on the album and that is after
"Shaving Cream". The accordion gives it an odd feeling from the
start, but not an unpleasant one. It has an old school rock-a-billy
feeling to the music, it is one that hooks into your brain and refuses to leave
(or pay rent either) as it smashes its way through your soul and takes
root. The penultimate two songs of this album are played by the combo of
King Buzzo, Dale Crover and Mike Dillard and the first of the two tracks is
called "Phyllis Dillard". This one is a slow sludge number, one
which actually has a little bit of a Kiss vibe to the pace of the song as it
feels like it the classic rock end of the band has been added to the mix.
It is a hard song that has a lot of feedback as well, but at the heart is an
honest rock number and it is one of the best of the album. Ending the
album is "Take Me Out to The Ball Game" (which is a popular song in
North America for baseball fans) which starts with a slow synth section that
sounds as if it could have been played at a baseball game, then the band join
in singing about going to the game. As a man who has never seen a
baseball game (never really caught on in the UK, if I ever go to America I
promise to see one), it is not a sentiment I understand. But I understand
the music here, it is a strange version and it makes so much sense being at the
end of the album - a strange number to end a Melvins album, business as usual.

This is a fun release, special guests (or future/past members - who knows with
these guys), twelve songs which never follow the same pattern and a smile that
does not leave your face for love or money. It is a good compilation of
two EP's, a song from a split release and some other numbers. Because the
best percentage of these numbers are available on other formats, it lost half a
mark but that is only because I am looking for a fault where there is
none. It is a good album and one that I would return to again and
again. Is it a new 'Houdini'? I will be honest that it good, but
not that good - however, there are a lot more Melvins albums to go through and
they going to probably release another few in the next year or so. But I
recommend this one just for the fact it has made me smile like a Cheshire cat,
more Melvins please....

8.5 out of ten - Oh, now you have
my attention and maybe my money, time and heart

30 August 2016

Shivers Addiction are an Italian
band from Saronno, Lombardy, they were formed in 2004 and have released one EP,
a homemade album and now they have released 'Choose Your Prison'. They
consist of Marco Cantoi on vocals, Marco Panizzo & Gino Peroraro on
guitars, Fabio Cova on bass and Angelo De Polignol on drums. The cover is
an angel in prison, locked up and pondering his choices. Now I have not
heard of these guys before their submission, but let us find out what they are
all about....

Starting the album is "Eternal Damnation" which is a classic rock
number, nothing too fancy with a good pace, a fine solo and with good vocal
performance as well. It is an interesting number, not doing anything that
I have not heard before, but not doing anything wrong either and it is a
steady, well performed number. "We Live On a Lie" is next and
it takes the game up a notch, this one sounds as if it was written in the
1980's and was a lost track to the 1980's Vampire film 'The Lost Boys'.
It has more solo's than any song outside of Tool requires, a vintage riff that
is just keeps on giving and whilst it is not total my thing, it is one damn
fine rock song! "The King & The Guillotine" is the third
track of the album, a dramatic track that slows the mood down as the band tell
the story about an execution and the final moments on earth for a king. A
slower number, aiming for a macabre dance and not quite make it for me, it has
another cracking solo, but little else on the song works for me.

"La Mort Qui Danse" acts as a brief instrumental that leads into
"Money Makes the Difference", which comes across as a mixture of
'Master of Puppets' era Metallica, Savatage and Judas Priest. It picks up
the bass with a steady mixture of trash and classic rock that will appeal to a
lot of old school metal fans, it is one of the best songs on offer on this
album with a classic riff, steady bass pulse and pounding drums.
"Freedom" is the sixth track on the album, it is a confused beast
which is bother slow and fast at the same time. It is heading for Iron
Maiden territory on this one, then it has a grunge riff that would not be out
of place on an Alice In Chains record. It is a decent song, nothing that
is blowing my mind if I am honest here, it is a well performed song and the
band have nail the song, but it does not quite spark with me - not for me, but
not bad either. "Where Is My Future" is an enigma to me, it
keeps changing what it is with ease; one minute prog, one-minute metal, no
minute grunge and all without a heartbeat of hesitation. This song has
another sweet solo and it will be going down a storm when they play it
live.

The next song on the album is "Painted Arrow" which starts with the
sound of a battle, cries of war and goes for an epic feeling. It has some
good moments, the acoustic parts are interesting, it continues the endless
supplies of soloing and another solid performance from Shivers Addiction.
I like the way it sounds, maybe it could have lost a beat or two, but there is
more than enough on here to keep the listener engaged and interested. The
next song is "Against We Stand" which I cannot quite make up my mind
about. It has all the standard stuff which has been the calling card for
this album; a solo that would put most bands to shame, strong vocals, good
drums and bass and a competent performance. However, the song just drifts
past me and I know there is a hook in here that will make their fans
excited. Maybe it is just not for me, but it is also not a song that I
can say is a bad number as it clearly has something going on. I just wish
I could make up my mind on it.... Ending the album is a song called
"Death Has Nothing to Teach" and starts with an acoustic guitar
performance that is very interesting indeed, it soon gives way to another
classic rock song that is from another decade and the performance is once again
very good. Nothing too specular on here for me, but nothing that is bad
on this one either once again and ends the album on a positive note.

Sometimes you just want a good and honest, basic metal album; it doesn't have
to have all the flames exploding all of the time and it does not have to be the
fastest album either. It is not a safe option, but it is a dependable
album that hits all the required spots - 'Choose Your Prison' is one of those
type of albums, for me it is a well performed record that hits the spot, but it
is not exactly the type of album I would normally go for. But it is good
at what it does, it is a solid record that I know will be greatly received by
others and does have some good moments and more solos than is really necessary
for one album. If you like your classic rock/metal to has a retro
feeling, this could be the album for you.

Produced by Anohni, Hudson Mohawke, Oneohtrix
Point never and Paul Corley.

Described as Electronic experimental
synthpop.

This album is a sugar coated Trojan
horse (Guardian 2016).

This website's (https://anohni.bandcamp.com/track/i-dont-love-you-anymore) description is perfectly succinct: 'ANOHNI has collaborated with Oneohtrix
Point Never & Hudson Mohawke on the artist's latest work. The album
HOPELESSNESS is a dance record with soulful vocals and lyrics addressing
surveillance, drone warfare, and ecocide. A departure from the singer’s
symphonic work, the album seeks to disrupt assumptions about popular music
through the collision of electronic sound and highly politicized lyrics.'

Anohni and fellow producers have created an
angry, bitter, pessimistic and forceful inexorable album.

Anohni is eloquent and highly articulate in
all interviews regarding the album. This is not an angle for her, the uniqueness
of pop and politics isn't particularly the way it's sold either-whether
this is deliberate or not I am unsure.

The subjects raised are close to the artist's
heart and the seething anger and fathomless depths of sorrow seep through with
the lyrics, the music and Anhoni's vocal performance.

On stage the albums tracks are performed in a
strong theatrical manner. Anohni is almost a shadow whilst a large screen
behind her and the musicians show a figure head for each track.

The album has had critical
success, nominated for sheer powerful creativity and connections, lyrics
and overall message, in the usually pretty bland world of pop.

You can imagine it as she is dressed in her
dark garb with her black hair and sombre look, the angry seething dark
political commentary, that Anohni would be in a punk or black metal band,
or at least prog rock or gothic/industrial or even indie. But no-its crisp
clear pop electronica. "...with teeth". And it works.

I am sceptical of anyone who thinks they will
make a difference by recording music with angry political lyrics. However, as I
researched this blog by reading and watching various interviews and reviews
over Anhoni's careers-and about this Album-I understand now why Anohni
states she feels she needs to be accountable for her own non reaction to the
world's tragedies. And I wouldn't want to get into a written or verbal sparring
match over this, as Anohni presents as very intelligent, knowledgeable,
eloquent, articulate, forceful, and inexorable in her views. There's no way
with my scant knowledge of global events that I'd even come close to discussing
this with her on anything like an equal platform.

But it makes me a little concerned for her
frame of mind that she appears (in print and works at least) to see only the
negative. There is absolutely no mention of anything positive, anything hopeful.
And I think that's the key, if you are looking for hate and anger and
limitless, cruelty and suffering, pollution and extinction, you will find
it because tragically it's there. But if you also look for those who care for others, work
to reduce the impact on the environment, develop new resources, rescue those in
need, if you look for those moments of kindness and sacrifice you will find
them. There is hope.

Overall: Anohni has a wonderful voice-very feminine but deep
and dark -it's breathy and unique. It's rich and I love it.

Her vocals glide over familiar pop territory,
and, just before I get bored-there’s gritty dirty scratching noise and a
thumping vibrating beat rumbles in and it's saved from the mundane-it is
elevated. If you listen to the lyrics, the politically seething furious
opinions and it's raging in a cage but it's also pretty funky. It's an insidious
seeping riot it's a jazz pop rebellion/march/protest-against a pretty fucked up
political economical and environmental climate.

Separate tracks:

1. Drone bomb me: accompanied by an
amplified gritty emotional video staring the beautiful Naomi Campbell who looks
beautiful even when crying pretty realistically -the musky velvety voice
crystallises- a love song to death. It's about the wish of a person whose
family has been killed by a drone bomb in an appalling fucking war-the poor
person is desperate for death. Survivors guilt, real desperation.
Typically for Anohni and in line with the title of the album-there's no
hope to the end of this-we don't find out if the girl lives.

2. 4 Degrees: The theme appears to be climate change. The general rise in temperature -
disappointment at the lack of action by those who promised better. There's some
lovely rather hefty drums and low rumbling brass-the music is industrial Pop-I've
heard nothing like it before. Although admittedly this isn't my usual go to
genre. The track is dirty and tribal and drum and base, and her jazz voice
ripples over this. The ending is gently plucked synthetic and string sounds.
It's a punchy track with spikes.

3. Watch Me. Straight in with the
repeated phrases expected perhaps of a generic pop song. But then it gets Anhoni’s
the subjects are as dear and gritty-dirty and disturbing as the deep dirty
gritty beats. The patriarchal state-the monitoring/surveillance of the
population. It ends suddenly with simple electronic beats fading away.

4.Execution. a very upbeat tinkle
beginning with the insidious sounding lower beat in the background. Like the
distraction -the concerts/sports/huge events-a population with their eyes fixed
to a screen while there's torture and executions. It's a confused sounding
track-there's layering and quite punchy lyrics with layering of the messages
the melodies -and perhaps this is deliberate. The minor note that it goes into
towards the end brings the feeling of unease that has been building throughout
the song to the fore. Clever.

5. I don't love you anymore. It's
a beautiful sound-the background melancholy music works. Almost a hymn-the
electronic keyboard sounds like an organ in a church. It's a lament. But her
voice is so gentle, it's a silky feather caress across a scar.

6.Obama. Anohni is cross at
Obama. She feels there was no follow up of Obamas pre-election promises. This
is one of the least accessible song musically and vocally. It's a singing shout
and there's no sign of the gentle feminine here, there's some heavy deep vocal
deep breaths to support the projection. It's a chant and a lament. The build to
the music backed chant is effective and easier to listen to-seems more musical
with the heavily layered build. Without that and the repeated effect it's more
a performance at a poetry slam.

7. Violent Men. This is bizarre
and follows the overtly angry track. The effects are gritty like static
feedback and an eastern influence in samples. It's confused sounding and almost
nauseating. It's choppy and short-staccato. There's nothing of the smooth
rippling melodious tracks of the previous tracks.

8. Why did you separate me from
the earth. Beautiful this one-lovely composition of melodies and vocals. The
choppy lyrics are now accompanied by the layers of electronica which make it
palatable. Just before your comfortable it sinks into sub-woofer type static
sounds and Anohni voice and builds up to an emotion entreaty.

9. Crisis. A simple start a
mixture of this electronic medium with politics. It's a gentle track the music
and slow beat with none of the earlier grittiness-is a shocking contrast to the
lyrics. It's almost like a love song but instead deals with awful topics and
presents them to you in a way in which you can't help but listen -there's no
anger-it brings you closer to the issues seen on the news-which seem distanced
from our lives in the west. It makes the listener think about how it would be
if their families had been killed tortured or beheaded. There's is a notable
hitch in her voice-the emotion bare.

10. Hopelessness: the music on
this is very much in the background here. It’s the usual synthetic rubbish pop
dance rubbish I’ve come to expect from anything that isn’t a live band, but
there are sound effects layering- reminiscent of industrial destruction, and
reinforces in a way the message of humanity being a virus on the earth 'I've
been taking more than I deserve, giving nothing in return' it's clever-it's
dark and her voice grips me-even though the music is secondary. In the live
version the crowds cheer and shout and it's as if they are just watching a show
and not the intelligent commentary and protest it is.

About 2 minutes 30 in there is an
unusual 70's style A Capella which builds to spiky notes over a thumping tribal
sounding base beat. Ends suddenly.

11. Marrow. Infections and cancers are the
topic. Although the track is dark-the subject matter undeniably so, the vocals
are high and breezy and the track is short but not sweet.

Score: 9 out of 10

Favourite Track: Done Bomb me. I know this is
perhaps the obvious choice-but it's 1st for a reason.

Life of Agony can never be accused of taking the easy route, that is something that can be said for them. It could be the fact that the...

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Album scoring system

0 - This is proof there is no deity1 - You're really are touching the bottom of the barrel with this one2 - If only there was some quality control3 - It could have been a bit better4 - Well it's alright, but still......5 -Not for everyone but played well6 - Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there7 - This is good and well worth a check8 - Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my money, time and heart9 - Almost perfect....Almost10 - This is proof there is a deity(For albums that are too crazy to be marked)Crazy Cat symbol - This album cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens

Singles/EP Marking System

0 - Only to be listened to by people bless with the gift of being deaf1 - Not so much on the bad that it is bottom of the barrel, but it can see the stuff down there2 - Not bad, not good - so average it is Zen3 - Decent, getting there4 - This is really good, well worth checking out5 - I wish I had extra ears to love this more(For Singles/EPs that are too crazy to mark)Crazy Cat symbol - This release cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens